Mark Ruffalo has come a long way since 1990 when he made his stage acting debut. Since then, he's received three Oscar nominations for his performances in The Kids Are All Right, Foxcatcher, and Spotlight.
Now at 53, his popularity has increased even more due to his role as Bruce Banner aka Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ruffalo's professional life seems to have run smoothly all these years. But did you know that a health threat in the early 2000s almost ruined it all for him?
In the '90s, The Avengers star made notable appearances in playwright Kenneth Lonergan's plays. His part in This Is Our Youth opened doors for him in TV and film. He was cast as the male lead for Lonergan's directorial debut in 2000, You Can Count on Me. It catapulted his career. Rated 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, the project drew attention to the actor despite working opposite other established actors like Matthew Broderick and Laura Linney.
However, just when he was about to make a name in Hollywood, he was forced to take a break that nearly hampered his career. Here's what really happened.
Updated on April 21, 2022: These days, Mark Ruffalo is doing much better. He has long since healed from his surgery, and while he still suffers from depression – it really is a lifelong battle – he seems to be managing his illness better than before. Ruffalo continues to be a major movie star – he starred in The Adam Project in 2022, and his next film Poor Things is in the works – and he continues to work in the MCU too; he'll be starring alongside Tatiana Maslany in She-Hulk on Disney+. He also continues to be a strong advocate for environmentalism, and he is never afraid to speak his mind when it comes to issues he is passionate about. While Ruffalo may never "cure" his depression, he is finding ways to make the most of his life as best he can.
Mark Ruffalo Was Dealing With Depression
The Begin Again actor has had dark times before and after making it on the big screen. He has struggled with depression since he was a kid. After high school, he was embarrassed to tell his parents that he wanted to pursue acting so he resorted to spending most of his time surfing or smoking. He didn't know where he was headed in life. It was a difficult tim, and he has said he was "just about ready to jump off a bridge."
During the promotion of Maya Forbes' autobiographical 2014 film Infinitely Polar Bear where he played a clinically bipolar father, Ruffalo shared his own experience with mental health issues. "People are so afraid of mental illness but it’s everywhere," he told Observer. "It’s Dysthymia. It’s a long-running, low-grade depression all the time. I've been struggling with that my whole life. It’s like a low-grade depression that just is running all the time in the background."
As a young adult, the actor also dealt with ADHD and undiagnosed dyslexia. He eventually figured things out when his family moved to Los Angeles. There, he attended the Stella Adler Conservatory while working as a bartender — a job that he did for almost a whole decade. In 1989, he made his screen debut in an episode of CBS Summer Playhouse.
The Dark Waters star had a wake-up call in 1994 when he lost his best friend Michael to suicide. The two bonded over mutual interests, experiences, and views in life. The tragic event brought the actor out of his dark phase and gave him a newfound value for his own life.
Slowing Down Due To A Medical Condition
After filming the 2001 action drama The Last Castle starring Robert Redford, Ruffalo was diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma or acoustic neuroma. It was a benign brain tumor that had to be surgically removed. Following the successful operation, the actor was still left with challenges such as complete paralysis of the left side of his face and loss of hearing in his left ear. He also had poor reflexes and had difficulty processing simple concepts like tying a knot.
The paralysis eased up after a year but to his day, he's still deaf in his left ear. Recovering from the rest of the post-surgery side effects took him away from acting, just when he was starting to gain momentum in the industry. He had to undergo multiple therapies to move the muscles of his face again and be able to walk long distances. The Avengers star hid this all away from the public. It led to speculations that he was battling alcoholism, drug addiction, or AIDS.
Ruffalo also kept the diagnosis secret from his wife, Sunrise Coginey who was pregnant with their first child at that time. He wanted his loved ones to focus on the happy occasion instead. He told her about the tumor a few weeks after their son Keen, who is now in his early twenties, was born. Even then, it remained a secret between them, his close friend, and his doctor.
The Long Road To Recovery For Mark Ruffalo
The Rumor Has It actor had to turn down the role of Merril Hess in the 2002 sci-fi thriller, Signs starring Mel Gibson. Joaquin Phoenix took on the part instead. It became tough not only for Ruffalo's career but his marriage as well. Prior to 9/11, he moved to upstate New York to get away from the spotlight and focus on recuperating. It was a rough journey with prescribed steroids slowing down his recovery.
The actor revealed that "recovery really tested what [he] was made of as a man." He said that it also "became a blessing in disguise, as time progressed." He did come back stronger than ever and went on to acquire numerous recognitions for various projects. He even began to advocate for environmental causes and social justice. Recently, it was rumored that he might finally get a standalone Hulk movie and he makes a cameo in the Disney+ series, Moon Knight.